A decision by Dundee City Council’s licensing board to defer an application by Fat Sams to open until 4.30am has been greeted with disappointment by the nightclub’s bosses.
Fat Sams’ management say the two-month deferment has already resulted in them having to make the club’s assistant manager redundant as they can’t compete with the nine or so pubs now being allowed to open until 2.30am.
In addition, the nearby G Casino is able to remain open and serving alcohol until 6am, without having to charge an entry fee.
Board members decided on Thursday to defer the application to allow for discussion on the council’s policy on the nightime economy with licensing committee members and the police at a meeting next week.
Despite those imminent discussions, the members agreed to allow an extension until 2.30am for MacDaniels pub.
Fat Sams management say that and other recent decisions to allows pubs in the city centre to remain open until 2.30am contravenes the council’s own policy, and could ultimately see the death of nightclubs in Dundee.
Presmises manager Colin Rattray said: “Where once we were open seven days a week, attracting 7,000 people and employing 180 staff, now we are down to around 1,000 clubbers per week on three nights, with only around 50 staff.”
He continued: “We are only open for 11.5 hours per week on a Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The casino being able to sell alcohol until 6am has killed the Sunday night trade where it used to be one of our busiest nights.
“It also gives them an obvious, strategic advantage in that they don’t have to apply the £3.50 charge which came about 20-odd years ago, in conjunction with the licensed trade, to stop club crawling.
“What we can’t understand is why, if they’re deferring until next week to discuss with the licensing committee and the police all aspects of their licensing policy, they still felt able to grant a 2.30aon licence to MacDaniels, despite objections.
“We have nothing against the pubs getting late licences. However, you have to maintain a two-hour differential between them in Edinburgh and Glasgow, for example, pubs close at 1am and nightclubs close at 3am.
“Their policy at the moment is for licensed premises to trade no more than 13 hours per day. This extension allows pubs to trade for 15 hours on a Friday and a Saturday.”
Licensing board convener David Bowes said: “We are having a meeting next week regarding our policies. Nothing has been discussed yet and we didn’t want to prejudice the Fat Sams application.
“It could be good for Fat Sams or it might go against them we just don’t know. It’s what happens on the day.”